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The Land Unknown

So, you're thinking to yourself: "I watched the latest dinosaur flick and now I want to see how great the old school dino-movies are!" Well, keep on looking, 'cause this is a stinker!

Even before the movie itself starts, we see the old trailer. We see too komono lizards doing battle as the announcer tells us they're stegosaurs.  There's a really dumb looking T-rex (although not as bad as the one in The Last Dinosaur...ugh!) and some pteradons of sorts.

The premise is about a military expedition into Antarctica. They take along a female reporter named Margaret Hathaway (Shirley Patterson (I)) and as they fly around in a helicopter, bad weather crops up. So they head back to base (which is a ship) and the pilot decides to dodge the bad weather by diving into a bunch of fog. Eventually he lands because they get hit by a pteradon (thought they don't know that!) in what is assumed to be a crater and when they exit, they see that it's a odd land. It's warm and lush!

Hathaway is with three men, one of whom appears to be married. Commander Roberts (Jock Mahoney) takes command and they try to get help, but it seems they lost their aerial. Too bad! Oh, and they also find out that an important piece of the ship is busted, so they can't take-off again. Anyway, they decide to wait for rescue and are awakened the next morn by a screech. No, it's not Hathaway, although you'll hear her doing plenty of that real soon. Instead, it was a pterasaur flying over. Of course, they missed everything but the sound.

Later on, they get chased by the T-rex, which looks like a guy in a suit and can hardly shuffle. I don't know why the people can't run faster then it. Anyway, when they get back to camp, they find that something has trashed it and it seems to be human...of course, before they get back, you hear an awful sound repeated over and over again. It's not easy to put into words, but I'd call it something akin to the sound of a train whistle blowing as it hit a screeching cat. 

We learn about our heritage. If you didn't already know it, we're from the apes...they even find one of our ancestors. They evolutionary concepts that are pushed in some of these scenes are laughable.

Eventually, they find the guy that trashed their site. He's a jerk that crashed there 10 years ago in a plane with three other guys. His name is Hunter...Dr. Carl Hunter (Henry Brandon). You're probably wondering how they find him...Hunter kidnaps the woman and somehow the others track her down. (Somewhere around this time, we learn that Hunter blows a big shell and it makes that AWFUL sound we heard earlier...it scares/annoys all the dinos so they usually leave.)

Well, the good doctor wants the woman for himself and says that he'll give the other guys directions to the wreck of his plane in hopes that they'll find something there to fix the chopper. Roberts won't hear of it. He wants Margaret too, but he won't admit it. Instead, he spouts off about not needing to sacrifice anyone and that they'll find it without Hunter. 

Margaret regrets coming and wants to help the others by staying with the nutcase (that is, Hunter), but Roberts continues to shush her...once by doing a little mouth-to-mouth...YUCK-O!

Anyway, she eventually does go to Hunter when Roberts isn't looking. Now, I need to pause and state that the good guys have a nut with them too. He's the married guy, so it just goes to show that being married doesn't help your sanity. I'm not sure of his name, but I think he's Lt. Jack Carmen (William Reynolds). He follows Margaret (maybe he wants her too, I don't know!) and jumps Hunter. A scuffle ensues and before anyone dies, the other guys come running in. A little blather here and there about men living by themselves something about living among beasts affects your heads and yet living among humans also affects one in a positive way...(yeah, REALLY bad line!!!) but it wins Hunter over and he gives them a map to his trove. 

Now, you didn't know this before, but they only had 22 or so days to find a replacement for their chopper because the ships can't stay in the water after winter hits...the ice would crush them. So, this is like the last day they could find the piece and still get off in time to rendezvous. Whoohoo! 

Okay. They get the piece, fix the chopper and go to pick up the girl (she stayed with Hunter cause he took a tumble and needed some TLC). They pick up the girl (note: they NEVER offer to take Hunter back with them...) and start to leave. However, they notice him in dire battle with one of the worst looking (and I suppose the best looking too, since it's one of the few sea creatures of this sort in any dino flick) pleasiasaurs.  They dive down and shoot a flare in its mouth and then rescue Hunter.

Of course, they make it back to the ship, although they crash in the water near it. And as they float for home, we learn from Margaret in a conversation with Roberts that they are in love and will get married...we also learn that they must have been getting it on in the chopper or on the ship because she says that she's gonna have a little one...ain't that sweet? GAAAH! SICK, SICK, SICK! 

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The Bad Stuff:

Watch Gorgo instead. It's a decent movie. Most of the Gojira stuff is too. Skip this one!

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